Mage Wars Arena is great. As for Academy... my buddy and I checked out the demo for this at Gen Con and had to have a copy. Love the faster pace and though I will still play Arena, the shorter gameplay is likely to be a factor in this one hitting the table far more frequently.
Just a quick note, in this set, the only condition markers are Stagger and Weak. Stun, Daze, Sleep, Burn, and all the other ones are not in it (they might be in future expansions though). Arcane Wonders wanted this to be a simpler faster way to play Mage Wars and I think they knocked it out of the park. Thanks for the review!
I picked up a copy at my local game store for 40% off. I'm so glad I had already watched this review in the past and knew how good it was! Thanks as always Tom!
Tom, can we expect review of Domination expansion soon? Really want to know what you think before buying it, since I got into the game because of you :D
This set will make Mage Wars Arena a different game. With the introduction of less mana intensive spells and creatures, It will help to lower the mana curve of the spell books and the way They are built.
+Tor Iver Wilhelmsen wait a sec. so I'm not allowed to speak certain words? holy crap, how crazy is that. Im gonna say tap or anything I want as long as I want XD
@@gustavosauer8453 if you are just talking yeah you can say whatever you want, but if you are content creator and you are getting paid for that, you can't just copy other people's content. That's all.
This surprised me a little bit. If it is going into the collection, is it replacing Mage Wars Arena? Or are you fitting it into that box? Or is another game getting the boot?
I always restrained myself from getting into Mage Wars (Arena) because I knew I wouldn't invest the time and effort into a game like that. Now with Academy I really won't be able to hold back, especially after hearing Toms praise...
Not at all, the tactical movement on the board was one of my fave parts of Arena and something that made it stand out from other card games of this type. Between the board based movement and the game's use of a spellbook rather than a deck, it really was unique.
Still prefer the grandness of arena despite the time investment and the fact that it doesn't hit the table often. Looking forward to future arena expansions for deck theory crafting rather than this.
I believe Arena is the 'core game' of Mage Wars now, which is why all these Academy cards can be used in that one as well, but not vice versa. Those who prefer the time investment (which I do, love Mage Wars) can get it for the extra spells and to play pick-up games with friends, but I think Academy offers enough crossover for it to augment what's out for Mage Wars right now.
*literal murderous madman with lightning crackling at his fingertips* Tom: 'This gentleman...' *literal monsters from ancient Greek mythology ready to kill you at a glance* Tom: ' Tom: 'These people.' Tom is almost comically polite. xD
The original game was a so-so buying choice for me, personally. This looks like my type of game, much easier to learn I bet :D Gotta add this to my collection. Thanks so much Tom! You've made me even more bankrupt than I thought I was! HAHA
+Steve Pruneau It's only slightly easier once you get used to the rules. No more complex than MtG though. The moving adds a little more to understanding, but where the biggest difference between this and MW Arena is really just the play time. This is the quicker and slightly easier version, but still benefits from the brilliance of the Spellbook setup.
Any thoughts in how this compares to Ashes? I have no Mage War experience and can not decide between Mage War Acedemy and Ashes. Thanks for the review.
***** I went with Ashes myself and am thoroughly enjoying it. Ashes combines elements of Dice Masters (which I never got into) with Magic. There's some nice synergies between the cards as well. Ashes also plays up to 4 players, if you want an epic battle. There's enough in the core box to play 2 separate games of 1v1, which I do on lunch with my coworkers. You get a lot of game for your money with Ashes.
I love Tom's reviews, but admittedly the pronunciation made me laugh. A gor-gone? (Most folk say Gor-gin) or cock-a-tryce (most folks say cock-a-tris).
I found the books to be useless. Just hold the cards in your hand. It's easier and faster. I bought Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn instead of this and I'm glad I did (I do have Arena though).
I love Tom's reviews, but I wonder if his vested interest in Arcane Wonders has jaded his point of view here? Better that Magic? Really? I don't play magic that much but come on.
Ansley Freeman Oh you shall see, in the future, that I am not "in Arcane Wonder's pocket.". But I loved Mage Wars and gave it a "10" long before I was working with Arcane Wonders. I think it's better than Magic, but your mileage might vary!
Tom, I respect you so much. I am sorry that I came across as you being paid off by AW. If that were the case you wouldn't need the Kickstarter. I am sorry if that insulted you. I guess my bias of not liking Mage Wars bled through too much. Cheers and Shut The Door!!!
Ansley Freeman If you found that you didn't like Mage Wars because of length or complexity or a variety of other things, I encourage you to find someone who has Academy and try it. You've got nothing to lose and might even find that you like this simpler version.
+Ansley Freeman I've been playing MtG since the early 90's and although I'm still happy to play it, I prefer Mage Wars.... Primarily due to the Spellbook vs randomised deck, but I also preferred the tactical side of Arena (which this version is missing).But yes I know a few old school Magic players that would prefer to play Mage Wars. Only it's easier to find MtG opponents in general.
bkLEGION3000 the collectibility is not of my concern, I can put two decks incorporating many strategies and lasting for hours of great fun for half a price of this game, what I'm seeking in dueling fantasy card games is different feeling and fresh look, interesting playstyle, etc.
bkLEGION3000 As someone who buys only the clash packs / fixed deck MTG products, I can say for sure the collectiblity need not be a hindrance to those who want to play it.
![JSS.Grass [Odin] vs State [Thor] - Solo Casted Game - AOM Retold](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/biJ6AuwFP10/mqdefault.jpg)
Mage Wars Arena is great. As for Academy... my buddy and I checked out the demo for this at Gen Con and had to have a copy. Love the faster pace and though I will still play Arena, the shorter gameplay is likely to be a factor in this one hitting the table far more frequently.
Just a quick note, in this set, the only condition markers are Stagger and Weak. Stun, Daze, Sleep, Burn, and all the other ones are not in it (they might be in future expansions though). Arcane Wonders wanted this to be a simpler faster way to play Mage Wars and I think they knocked it out of the park. Thanks for the review!
Looks great. I'm starting to like these "intro" game versions because they're smaller/cheaper but still all the fun of the original versions. Gateway!
This is a must buy for me. Love Mage Wars, Love MtG. This is great. I was waiting for them to figure out how to boil down MW into 30 minutes.
I picked up a copy at my local game store for 40% off. I'm so glad I had already watched this review in the past and knew how good it was! Thanks as always Tom!
Tom, can we expect review of Domination expansion soon? Really want to know what you think before buying it, since I got into the game because of you :D
Wojciech Król In a week or so.
This set will make Mage Wars Arena a different game. With the introduction of less mana intensive spells and creatures, It will help to lower the mana curve of the spell books and the way They are built.
Yes, you can say "tap". Dr. Garfield's patent on Deckmaster covers the _combination_ of all claims in it, not each claim in isolation.
+Tor Iver Wilhelmsen wait a sec. so I'm not allowed to speak certain words? holy crap, how crazy is that. Im gonna say tap or anything I want as long as I want XD
@@gustavosauer8453 if you are just talking yeah you can say whatever you want, but if you are content creator and you are getting paid for that, you can't just copy other people's content. That's all.
This surprised me a little bit. If it is going into the collection, is it replacing Mage Wars Arena? Or are you fitting it into that box? Or is another game getting the boot?
I always restrained myself from getting into Mage Wars (Arena) because I knew I wouldn't invest the time and effort into a game like that. Now with Academy I really won't be able to hold back, especially after hearing Toms praise...
Am I the only one who still enjoys Arena more than Academy?
Not at all, the tactical movement on the board was one of my fave parts of Arena and something that made it stand out from other card games of this type. Between the board based movement and the game's use of a spellbook rather than a deck, it really was unique.
Still prefer the grandness of arena despite the time investment and the fact that it doesn't hit the table often. Looking forward to future arena expansions for deck theory crafting rather than this.
I believe Arena is the 'core game' of Mage Wars now, which is why all these Academy cards can be used in that one as well, but not vice versa. Those who prefer the time investment (which I do, love Mage Wars) can get it for the extra spells and to play pick-up games with friends, but I think Academy offers enough crossover for it to augment what's out for Mage Wars right now.
*literal murderous madman with lightning crackling at his fingertips* Tom: 'This gentleman...'
*literal monsters from ancient Greek mythology ready to kill you at a glance* Tom: ' Tom: 'These people.'
Tom is almost comically polite. xD
The original game was a so-so buying choice for me, personally. This looks like my type of game, much easier to learn I bet :D Gotta add this to my collection. Thanks so much Tom! You've made me even more bankrupt than I thought I was! HAHA
+Steve Pruneau It's only slightly easier once you get used to the rules. No more complex than MtG though. The moving adds a little more to understanding, but where the biggest difference between this and MW Arena is really just the play time. This is the quicker and slightly easier version, but still benefits from the brilliance of the Spellbook setup.
I highly recommend watching Sam's review as well. :D Thanks for your input, Trent
Any thoughts in how this compares to Ashes? I have no Mage War experience and can not decide between Mage War Acedemy and Ashes.
Thanks for the review.
***** One uses a deck, one plays out of a spellbook. They're otherwise similar, I guess.
***** I went with Ashes myself and am thoroughly enjoying it. Ashes combines elements of Dice Masters (which I never got into) with Magic. There's some nice synergies between the cards as well. Ashes also plays up to 4 players, if you want an epic battle. There's enough in the core box to play 2 separate games of 1v1, which I do on lunch with my coworkers. You get a lot of game for your money with Ashes.
4:36 Here's pants you can put on.
Presumably the other mage caught you with your pants down. :-p
Those are better than the pants you can't put on
The one downside to the Original magewars is that it isn't very portable, having to lug that big gameboard around. This fixes that.
The expansions make transport hell, haha. The game is excellent though.
I love Tom's reviews, but admittedly the pronunciation made me laugh. A gor-gone? (Most folk say Gor-gin) or cock-a-tryce (most folks say cock-a-tris).
I found the books to be useless. Just hold the cards in your hand. It's easier and faster. I bought Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn instead of this and I'm glad I did (I do have Arena though).
I love Tom's reviews, but I wonder if his vested interest in Arcane Wonders has jaded his point of view here? Better that Magic? Really? I don't play magic that much but come on.
Ansley Freeman Oh you shall see, in the future, that I am not "in Arcane Wonder's pocket.". But I loved Mage Wars and gave it a "10" long before I was working with Arcane Wonders. I think it's better than Magic, but your mileage might vary!
Tom, I respect you so much. I am sorry that I came across as you being paid off by AW. If that were the case you wouldn't need the Kickstarter. I am sorry if that insulted you. I guess my bias of not liking Mage Wars bled through too much. Cheers and Shut The Door!!!
Ansley Freeman If you found that you didn't like Mage Wars because of length or complexity or a variety of other things, I encourage you to find someone who has Academy and try it. You've got nothing to lose and might even find that you like this simpler version.
+Ansley Freeman I've been playing MtG since the early 90's and although I'm still happy to play it, I prefer Mage Wars.... Primarily due to the Spellbook vs randomised deck, but I also preferred the tactical side of Arena (which this version is missing).But yes I know a few old school Magic players that would prefer to play Mage Wars. Only it's easier to find MtG opponents in general.
13:37
so these are basically blue-red and green mtg decks?:) is this game far different in feeling to play it over mtg? looks poor
Xolotl Definitely different feeling. It will have lots of thing that reminds you MTG, but other things that there will be new and fun to you.
Xolotl I like it WAY better than MTG because its not collectible. Everybody has the same access to the same spells, no boosters. Its awesome!
bkLEGION3000 the collectibility is not of my concern, I can put two decks incorporating many strategies and lasting for hours of great fun for half a price of this game, what I'm seeking in dueling fantasy card games is different feeling and fresh look, interesting playstyle, etc.
Edward Palacio thx, I will consider putting my hands on one copy:)
bkLEGION3000 As someone who buys only the clash packs / fixed deck MTG products, I can say for sure the collectiblity need not be a hindrance to those who want to play it.
Arena YES, Academy..NO..bleh